The Real Deal Miami

Swing and a miss: Trump drops proposal to manage golf course

Donald Trump has reportedly backed out of his offer to renovate and manage the Crandon golf course on Key Biscayne.

Trump proposed a $10 million makeover for the course on his dime, in exchange for a 99-year contract where he would manage the golf course.

That would include upgrades to the course itself, the clubhouse and the on-site restaurant, as well as removing a significant chunk of the mangrove trees that surround the greens — and block its views of Biscayne Bay, as Trump’s proposal noted.

His plan hit resistance from the Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jean Monestime. He came out against the proposal last week and submitted a resolution for his fellow commissioners to do the same.

The commission was set to vote on the resolution Tuesday, but Trump pulled out over the weekend, the Miami Herald reported.

One of Trump’s aides sent Monestime an email rescinding the proposal and asking that it be removed from Tuesday’s commission meeting agenda.

Trump had spoken with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez last year, when he first submitted his proposal. The mayor removed himself from the equation because his son is a lawyer and lobbyist for Trump, the Herald reported.

That left Chairman Monestime in charge of making a recommendation.

Ed Russo, Trump’s aide who sent the email to Monestime dropping the offer, told the Herald that the county could be launching its own public proposal process. [Miami Herald] — Sean Stewart-Muniz